G10 Inlay In Choil To Circumvent Blade Length Limitations

[Toucan]

Ok, so we know that knife length laws are an unfortunate reality, with limitations around 3" being most common. We also know that the entire length of the blade is counted, even exposed tang, kick, or finger choil. This is especially unfortunate for smaller knives that often rely on the finger choil for a full four finger grip. This leaves knives like the Native 5 legally in the 3" category, while leaving a full half inch on the table.

My thought, is that there should be a way count the length of the blade that is not the edge as handle. How to do that is another question.

What if one were to use thinner blade stock, (while keeping the other dimensions of a knife the same) then bond/sandwich thin layers of G10 on the entire blade below the plunge grind, basically the whole tang, to the thickness of the original blade stock?

Now the finger choil part of the blade is covered in handle material, and could/should be counted as handle. A 3" knife like the Native 5 would be a 2.5" knife.

Now the length of a handle would vary depending on whether the knife is open or closed. To my knowledge, that hasn't really been done before.

This is an impractical idea, I know, but it's just something that was rattling around in my head that I wanted to share.

[metaphoricalsimile]

No technicalities are going to save you from a cop who wants to arrest you anyways so...

[The Deacon]

I am not a lawyer, but I worked with enough of them to think that, if it's part of the blade, the material does not matter, it will be counted. New scales that extended further forward ahead of the pivot might not.

[ZrowsN1s]

Good thinking outside the box, but as others have said, probably won't fly.

[Toucan]

I am not a lawyer, but I worked with enough of them to think that, if it's part of the blade, the material does not matter, it will be counted. New scales that extended further forward ahead of the pivot might not.

I see your point, but I have no idea. It's functionally the same as a fixed blade with the tang contained within the handle.

If one were to cut off 3/4 of a fixed blade's handle, then drill a pivot and install a folding handle, I feel like no one would argue that the remaining 1/4 of the handle is a blade.

[Toucan]

No technicalities are going to save you from a cop who wants to arrest you anyways so...

True enough, cops can generally do whatever they want. I don't mean this as a "gotcha" legal technicality. Just a potential idea/innovation. Ignoring loophole potentioal -- from an ergonomic perspective it might just be nice to have G10 on the finger choil anyways.

[BornIn1500]

I'd think that if you attach something to the blade, then it's still considered the blade. By your logic, someone can just wrap a piece of tape around the tang and claim it's no longer part of the blade. I agree with the other guy that said to extend the actual handle itself.

[bearfacedkiller]

Cops don’t really interpret the law, they enforce it. The decision regarding your loophole will be up to the courts to decide if a cop doesn’t think it is legal. I personally avoid courts if I can and try to only interact with the legal system when it pertains to money or property. I would be lying if I said I was always the most law abiding citizen but I 100% try to avoid interacting with cops or courts.

I think your idea is creative but unfortunately I think that the juice just ain’t worth the squeeze.

[jdw]

I agree with Darby. If you have a cop looking at the blade of your knife for length restrictions then a piece of G10 isn't going to be what keeps you out of jail. Not doing anything to draw attention to yourself or your knife would be the best advice.

[Wartstein]

I could imagine that the 'logic" behind the blade length restrictions is perhaps how deep a person could get stabbed by a knife?

And your G10 idea would not really decrease the potential maximal penetration of the knife, for a stab would still only be stopped by the front end of the handle?

Just a guess.
And I find blade length restrictions really silly and without having any impact on how much "knife crimes" occur or not.

[Mushroom]

I wonder if a small protrusion on the actual scales could achieve the same thing.

Sure it would look weird and might even feel kind of funny but it could be a way of “decreasing” the blade length without actually decreasing anything.



This is a 30 second phone edit to better show what I mean. I do not have access to photoshop right now or else I would just mock it up real quick.

[Hopsbreath]

I wonder if a small protrusion on the actual scales could achieve the same thing.

Sure it would look weird and might even feel kind of funny but it could be a way of “decreasing” the blade length without actually decreasing anything.



This is a 30 second phone edit to better show what I mean. I do not have access to photoshop right now or else I would just mock it up real quick.

Length is always measured from the base.

[Mushroom]

I wonder if a small protrusion on the actual scales could achieve the same thing.

Sure it would look weird and might even feel kind of funny but it could be a way of “decreasing” the blade length without actually decreasing anything.

https://i.imgur.com/0287xiL.jpg

This is a 30 second phone edit to better show what I mean. I do not have access to photoshop right now or else I would just mock it up real quick.

Length is always measured from the base.

Blade length is measured from the tip of the blade to the foremost part of the handle.

That little nub would technically be the foremost part of the handle and would be where the measurement begins/ends. It looks dumb but based on technicality it decreases the measured blade length.

I’m not suggesting that it be implemented anywhere, I’m just acknowledging it as another possible solution to the OP’s question.

[zhyla]

Buy a shorter knife. That the boring solution. Everything else is madness.